Improvement in playing-cards



playin g-cards.

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES HARVIE DEW, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPRCVEMENT IN PLAYING-CARDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 157,381, dated December 1, 1874; application filed october 2, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES HARVIE DEW, of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Cards for Playing Social Games, of which the following is a specification:

My invention consists in a pack of cards, divided into four suits of thirteen cards, each of which suits represents some profession, occupation, or pursuit in life-as war, statesmanship, poetry, authorship, Ste-and the cards of each suit containing the names of persons who have been distinguished or engaged in the occupation represented by such suit, together with the names and dates of their exploits, and achievements, and acts, and the titles of their works, by which, in playing the game, said cards may be made to correspond with, and be played in the same manner as, the ordinary playing-cards; the object of the invention being to impart to children or youthful players, while engaged in an amusing game, instruction in history, biography, polite literature, or other subjects.

To illustrate my invention, I select for the four suits, warriors, statesmen, novelists, and poets, which correspond, respectively, with the four suits belonging to a pack of ordinary I then select the names of a number of persons who have been engaged in said professions or occupations, and place them on the cards, to designate the relative value or standing of said cards in the suit, and further distinguish three of the cards of each suit by an ornamental border near the edge. For example, in the snit called warriors,77 I select the name of Napoleon Bonaparte for the first or highest card, George Vashington for the second, and Ulysses S. Grant for the third. These names are marked at the top of the respective cards, followed on each card by a list of the battles in which each of said persons has been engaged, together with a number to denote the standing ofthe card in the suit.

The three highest cards in a suit are further distinguishad from the other ten by an ornamental'border near the edge of each card, in order that such cards may be recognized at a glance as corresponding with what are known as court cards77 in an ordinary pack.

The remaining ten cards in the suit of Warriors are represented by persons of' lesser note than those above mentioned, and the standing of the card is denoted by a number, which may correspond with the number of battles in the list following the name at the head of the card.

In some cases a card may contain the names of two or more persons, and the numbers may refer to the exploits, achievements, or works of both or all of the persons named. If desired, the card may contain simplyl the name and a number denoting its standing.

The same rule is adopted for the other suits in the pack as that above describedthat is to say7 for statesmen,77 the names of the persons and list of their official or public acts or deeds; for authors and poets,7 the names of the persons and of their literary and poetical works. The names are placed on the cards in accordance with the relative standing or degree of prominence of the persons named, and the value of each card is denoted as above described.

By means of this game considerable knowledge and instruction may be imparted to the players, especially young persons, by familiarizing them with the names of prominent individuals, and identifying such individuals with certain important events and achievements, or some prominent literary or poetical works.

The particular game for which these cards are intended is played as follows: Four persons playing, the partners sit opposite each other. The cards are shuffled, and cut from right of dealer for trumps, and the whole pack is dealt out from right to left, the leadcommencing from the left of dealer. Each player is required to follow suit when possible. Every four cards played compose one trick, each trick after six are taken counts onepoint, and ten points constitute a game.

These cards may be used in playing any game which can be played with ordinary playing-cards, the same rules being observed Vin playin g.

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The accompanying drawing represents the the dates of their works or achievements, each four highest cards in the suit of \varrors, suit being also seriall5T numbered, substanabove described, and is deemed sufficient to tially as described and shown, and for the purillustrate the invention. pose set forth.

I clainl- The pack of playin g-cards herein described, JAS HARVIE DILW M' D' arranged in four suits, provided respectively Witnesses: upon their faces with the names of celebrated MICHAEL RYAN, warriors, statesmen, novelists, and poets, with VERNON H. HARRIS. 

